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Hammerhead Shark

Fish

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Hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that make up the family Sphyrnidae, named for the unusual and distinctive shape of their heads, which are flattened and extended laterally into a structure called a cephalofoil. The shark's eyes sit at each end of this T-shaped structure, with its small mouth centered directly beneath, and most hammerhead species belong to the genus Sphyrna, while the winghead shark is placed in its own genus, Eusphyra. Researchers have proposed several, not necessarily exclusive, functions for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, maneuvering and prey manipulation, and it gives the shark superior binocular vision and depth perception along with increased surface area for electroreceptors.

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